Unified synthesis of caged Garcinia natural products based on a site-selective Claisen/Diels–Alder/Claisen rearrangement

A unified synthetic strategy toward caged Garcinia natural products has been designed and implemented. Central to the strategy is a tandem Claisen/Diels-Alder/Claisen rearrangement of a suitably substituted xanthone precursor to form forbesione (1a). Serving as a template, forbesione is then used to deliver representative members of this family, including desoxygaudichaudione A (4), desoxymorellin (5), and gambogin (10). Studies on the timing of this reaction cascade suggest that the C-ring Claisen/Diels-Alder rearrangement proceeds initially and is followed by the A-ring Claisen reaction. The electronic and steric effects that govern the outcome of this cascade are presented.